Senate Democrats punt on budget resolution

Senate Democrats said Thursday they would delay a budget resolution for fiscal year 2012, prompting criticism from Republicans as Washington’s fiscal wars heated up anew.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, said in a short statement on Thursday that Democrats are “very close to an agreement” on a budget.

“But, after broad consultation, we have decided to defer a budget mark-up because of the high-level bipartisan leadership negotiations that are currently underway,” Conrad said.

Vice President Joe Biden is holding talks about reducing the deficit with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. That group is expected to meet again as early as next week.

Separately, negotiations among a group of senators seeking a broad deficit-reduction deal are struggling to stay afloat after Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn left the talks over a dispute about Medicare.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the budget panel, said Conrad’s announcement was “just another excuse for delay — delay with no end in sight.”

“It seems Senate Democrats are desperately trying to avoid having to present a budget to the American people,” Sessions said.

– Robert Schroeder

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